Does anybody knows the donor car of this steering gear?

It is very unusual to have the steering rack welded to the chassis and not very conducive to easy maintenance.

Paul

Paul,

I know it seems a bit strange on the photo, but it is not welded to the chassis. It is bolted through the crossmember of the chassis. The screws can be seen from the backside of the crossmember

Werner

The photo is a little blurry but it looked like a weld around the joint, so it is good to hear that it is just bolted on.

I haven’t checked the dimensions, but it looks like an MG B rack.

Paul

Not an MGB rack, I'm afraid - the heavier cast sections of the housing are tapered and more substantial than the MG offering.  The MG rack and the Cobra rack differ only in the pinion input shaft, as far as I'm aware.  I don't recognise the one you have.

MGB rack:

Good evening togehter

I still really have no idea about the steering gear. I already talked with the guys from Superformance in Port Elizabeth in SA but these guys also dont know much about the technical details of these early cars like mine.

Some parts of the front axle came from a Ford Granada or Cortina, some from a Chevrolet Constantia.

I first also thought that the steering gear could from an MG B - but as Roger said this look quite different.

The problem is, that I found no OEM logo or part nuber on the steering gear, which could make the search easier...

This is really a difficult thing.

Werner

@super

Well, not an early Cortina part either....

http://www.retro-ford.co.uk/shop/content/mk1-cortina-rack-and-pinion-29-ratio-steering-rack-rhd-cs012-29rhd

Hmmmm....

Granada looks a bit more likely....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254310544186

Shortened perhaps?

Never heard of a Chevrolet Constantia I'm afraid

Roger,

the tapered end sections of the Granada housing look similar but as I said my steering gear is directly bolted onto the front cross member of the chassis. The casted end sections of the Granada steering gear do not have the integrated mounts like the steering gear of my car.

I think the Granada was not the right donor car.

Werner

The search goes on. 😊👍🏻

yes, for sure - the search goes on. I don't give up that fast.

In the meantime I contacted the guys from the company Borg Automotive, which remanufactures also steering gears and the guys from TRW service desk. I hope these guys will come back with some information.

Do you know other companies that remanufacture steering components?

Werner

Good evening,

yesterday I received an answer from a guy from Borg Automotive Denmark. He gave me the hint, that the steering rack could come from a 70s Vauxhall Viva, but he has no photo of such a part. So, I searched through the web to find a photo, but I only had success for 68s Viva , which is as far as I understood not the right one (68s is the model type HA, and 70s the type HB).

Does anyone of you guys know who I can ask to get more information about a 70s Viva?

Werner

Pretty sure the Viva HB ran from around '66 to '70.  From then on the Viva HC took over.

Try looking at ebay maybe, for photos?  Don't know any Vauxhall experts I'm afraid.

Anorak fact:   What technology did the Vauxhall Viva HA van share with the AC Cobra 289?

Transverse leaf spring front suspension!  So I'm driving a double-ended Viva van...  that explains a lot!

Not a lot of people know that.....  😉 

@super

Hi Werner,

I don’t know if these are any help to you, but I saw these in an old 70’s Vauxhall Viva HC workshop manual that I found yesterday.

kind regards, Martin.